Paull Holme Tower – Heritage disappearing in front of our very eyes!

PAULL HOLME TOWER is a 15th Century three storey brick tower between Paull and Thorngumbald and was once part of a grand manor house and moated-complex and is a Grade I listed monument. The Tower is believed to be located at the centre of the original settlement of Paull – and buildings may have been on this site dating back to before the Domesday Book!

The Tower was open to the public for the first time as part of the Heritage Open Days weekend on 10th and 11th September 2011. This was made possible due to English Heritage agreeing to cover the public liability costs of opening the monument.

Simon Taylor, the owner of the tower, was on hand to meet and talk to dozens of enthusiastic visitors to the site.

Paull Holme Tower is now described as being in “very bad” condition by English Heritage. Its priority status has been classed as A(A) which signifies that it is at:

“Immediate risk of further rapid deterioration or loss of fabric; no solution agreed.”

Remains of once decorative work at the top of the tower

And the deterioration showed! Crumbling brickwork and erosion by weather and plants was clear for all to see! But this ‘loss of fabric’ represents history and heritage disappearing in front of our very eyes!

Simon Taylor says that he bought the Tower nearly 25 years ago in order to “save it” and that job continues. He hopes that renewed interest in the site through the Open Days will encourage people to get involved in helping to form a trust or not-for-profit body that can look at preserving the ancient building.

[…] permission to open the tower to the public, for the first time ever, in September 2011 during an English Heritage Open Days weekend. He and wife Wyn expected and catered for 30 visitors but were overwhelmed when over 300 people had […]